


Some of Murphy’s Not so Obscure Laws

by commasplice27



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: F/F, I don't know why I'm like this, apparently this is "fluffy"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2018-09-25 21:39:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9846467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/commasplice27/pseuds/commasplice27
Summary: What if the two had met before Casey was transferred in. How could that bad first impression have been worse?





	1. Chapter 1

 

Murphy’s (Not So Obscure) Law #43: The Hot Girl With Whom You Could Get Along Is Always Taken. Always.

-

 

Casey circled the market twice as she slowed from a run to a jog and finally to a walk. She stretched a little, trying to remain limber. The mornings were, finally, starting to cool down. 

The city was amazing in the fall. As soon as school supplies showed up in stores and the summer crowds started to thin, the heat would back off, the humidity would disappear, previously unnoticed trees would start to change color, and the air would become blessedly crisp. 

Crisp enough that even though she was still warm from her run she still wanted to answer the call of the coffee house - her perpetual reward.

The allure of the cafe grew even stronger when she noticed a gorgeous brunette a the end of the line. She was tall. Not as tall as Casey, but nicely so. Golden skinned. A leather coat that might have been slightly warm for the weather, but Casey would gladly wear it every day in the heat of summer if it looked as good on her as it did on the brunette. She tried to come up with a subtle way to talk to the woman to see what color eyes she had that went along with the elegant features, just to be able enjoy the entire picture, or so she told herself. The woman seemed intense, maybe a little butch, confident. 

Casey stepped into line behind the woman, telling herself that she had been planning to get coffee anyway. She inadvertently caught part of her phone conversation. 

“It’s all right,” the brunette said. “No, I’m not really up for shopping by myself since every stall here has a line and this coffee shop has a line out the door, but I might as well get a latte while I’m here. If we’re actually be able to meet up later, you can take me to dinner to make up for it. - Yes, I’ll bring you a pound of coffee.” She sighed and returned her cell phone to her pocket. 

Definitely taken, Casey thought. Of course, the gorgeous ones always were. At least it took the pressure off when it came to finding out the color of her eyes. She had a nice, low, clear voice though. And, maybe it was the endorphins from running kicking in at just the wrong moment, but she couldn’t help herself. 

“They have good lattes here, but the coffee here is truly excellent,” she said. She flashed what she hoped was a harmless ‘fellow shopper’ smile at the woman, and tried to stop talking. “They use a European style roaster, so it’s better and darker than most around the city.” She breathed, a nervous pause that she just knew would give her away, and she still couldn’t seem to stop talking. “Perfect for a Sunday morning.”

“Sorry, do you work here?”

Brown. They were brown and warm. Casey laughed and shook her head and shrugged. 

The woman regarded her for a moment before putting on a soft, but wry smile. “So… the coffee, hmm?”

Casey winced, chagrinned. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I wouldn’t want you to miss it. Even if the rest of the market wasn’t filled with good shopping, I would come here just for the coffee.”

Olivia let her eyes roam the perimeter of the weekend farmer’s market and let loose with another wry grin. “So, you come here often then?” she said. She was rapidly enjoying the teasing of the redhead who appeared to be biting her lip to stifle a smile, the expression making her dimples come out even more. 

“As a matter of fact,” she laughed a little. “I make it a part of my weekend runs.”

“So, then, do tell. What’s so great about this place?”

“Well,” she looked around collecting her opinions. “Okay, so the flower market, it’s great, but if you tell the woman who works there that you’ll take whatever’s freshest, she’ll put together something really beautiful and original for you. The produce is great all throughout here.” She turned and pointed to her left. “The wine shop in that storefront – it’s prices are only a little better than retail and but they have an excellent buyer so can’t get a bad bottle there. And that bakery next to it- amazing pastries and bread.”

“Okay,” the brunette said. “The marketing board must love you.”

“That would be an easy job.” She smiled and thought about winking. Talking to this woman should have had her red-faced at best and stuttering at worst, but something about the morning, or the woman being safe to flirt with… she smiled. “You think I should send them my resume?”

“Looking for a new job?”   
She sighed and tilted her head and smiled a smile that says that she accepted her fate and it’s not too bad. “No… I think I just might be a lifer at my current job.” 

“I know how that can be,” she said. “So, what do you do?”

“Oh, I don’t know if I should say,” she teased. “I wouldn’t want your opinion of me swayed before you even know my name.”

“Well then,” she said and held out a hand. “I’m Olivia, and you are?”   
“Casey,” she said and shook her hand. They had reached the front of the line and paused to make their purchases. Armed with hot coffee she felt even more prepared to keep her feet on the ground. 

“Okay,” Olivia said. “You weren’t lying, this is excellent coffee.” She placed her lid back on the cup, not having to add any sugar or cream. 

“I’d never lie about coffee,” the redhead laughed. “It’s a second religion. Would you like company for organic produce shopping?” She motioned to the stalls of the farmer’s market.

The brunette laughed. “Sure. So, Casey,” she said. “What is it you do?”

The redhead winced and sighed and mock-hung her head. “I’m a lawyer,” she said. 

“Oh,” Olivia said dramatically.

“Yeah,” Casey said. 

“Well, since you were right about the coffee, I’ll have to grant you some leeway on that,” she said and laughed. “What kind of law?”

“I am a prosecutor for Manhattan.” she said. “Mostly white collar crimes.”

“Ah, well,” Olivia said. “At least you’re on the good side. Though, you don’t really seem like a lawyer. You seem too… sweet. I’d have to see it to really believe it.” 

“Oh no,” the redhead smiled. “You would not want to see me at work. I am a different person. I’m pushy, relentless, cocky, bitchy and zealous.” 

“So,” the brunette lengthened the syllable, “a typical lawyer, then.”

Casey laughed softly and nodded her head. “Yes. And when I’m threatened or nervous, it gets worse, I just steamroll over anything in sight.”

“You must be effective then.”

She smiled. “You bet.” 

They walked along the market stalls, talking about nothing and everything, pausing to purchase fresh fruit or vegetables. 

“So, you like your job then? You’re not planning to run for office or anything like that?”   
“No, I love my job,” she said. “I mean, it could always be better, but I am not really into the politics,” she shrugged. “Right now, I wouldn’t mind being made assistant bureau chief, that would be the next move, I guess, although moving off white collar to major cases would be nice too, but I think you’d have to be nuts to want to sit in the big chair... I’m sorry, I must sound…” 

“Like a public servant? Devoted? You should never apologize for those things.”

The dimples came out again. 

“So, when you’re not ridding the world of embezzlers and fraud you evangelize unsuspecting women into your favorite farmer’s market, and... I’m going to go with the obvious,” she indicated Casey’s running outfit, “and say that in your off hours, you run.”

She smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I run. Play softball, tennis… I bike some too, but I love running. Someday I hope to run in the NY marathon.”

“Don’t you have to enter a lottery for a spot?”

“That would be correct. But I might have better luck there than I have with unsuspecting women,” Casey said. 

“I don’t know, you seem to be rather good at this,” Olivia said. “And charming.”

Casey’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, no, I am actually not.” She shook her head for emphasis and resorted to a chagrinned smile. “It just takes quite a bit of the pressure off when you overhear the woman on the phone and figure out she is taken. But you, are very, very good at getting people to talk. You know almost my whole story and I don’t even know what you do.”

“It’s a skill that comes in handy, since I’m a cop. And you might just have bad timing, instead of bad luck,” she said. Olivia gave her a slightly sad smile and shrugged. “I just started an on-again phase of a long, on-again/off-again relationship.”

“Hey, I got to have coffee with, pardon my directness, a gorgeous, smart, interesting woman. And I didn’t stutter or make a fool of myself too much. My only other plans today were to tidy up my apartment and nap on the couch, and let me tell you, you’re ten times funnier than my couch.”

“Only ten times?” Olivia asked.

“See?” She put her hands in the pockets of her zip-up jacket. “Really,” she said. “No regrets.” Then she winked a little. “Maybe a ‘too-bad,’ but that’s just how it goes.” She smiled. “I enjoyed the coffee, Olivia,” she said, putting a little more distance between them. 

“I really enjoyed talking to you too,” Olivia said. Easy conversation, sweet, no attitude/reputation worries, no games. Olivia almost sighed.. “Maybe we’ll run into each other someday at the courthouse and get to talk again.” 

“If I’m lucky… Good luck to you - with the on-again phase,” she said, and then descended the subway stairs and out of sight. 

“Maybe we’ll both be lucky,” Olivia said to herself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on part 1: 
> 
>  
> 
> _“Oh no,” the redhead smiled. “You would not want to see me at work. I am a different person. I’m pushy and relentless, cocky, and bitchy and zealous.”_
> 
>  
> 
> _“So,” the brunette lengthened the syllable, “a typical lawyer, then.”_

Murphy’s (Not So Obscure) Law #22- Second Impressions Can Be Much, Much Worse Than First Ones

-

 

She took a deep breath and barreled right into search of the suspect’s apartment.  
“Looks like pharmaceuticals,” Casey said, warrant in hand. “Bag it with the other evidence.”

Olivia looked up, and paused in confused recognition. 

“I’m sorry,” Elliot asked, walking over. “Who are you?”

“I’m your new ADA.”

Elliot said and clicked his fingers. “You’re on the DA softball team….,” he said. He pointed to himself, “Cops’ team short stop. Elliot Stabler.”

“I didn’t recognize you not covered in my dust,” she said. “Casey Novak.”

“This is my partner Olivia Benson,” he said as Olivia walked over. He crossed his arms and stood up straighter, placing himself between the lawyer and the rest of the search.

Olivia approached carefully. “What are you doing here?”

She nodded. “This is my case… I like to see my cases through from beginning to end.”

“Yes, but,” Olivia said, finally, firmly. “We’re the detectives.”

“Yes, but I still need to familiarize myself with the crime scene.”

“This scene has been processed,” Elliot said. 

“Not by me.”

-

Casey was seriously considering never listening another piece advice again, ever. 

From her old bureau chief:  
_Not quite the brass ring you wanted, but it is a good opportunity…. I do want you to be careful, if you think the police pressure is anything now, Ha! Let’s just say that the the cops working white collar cases don’t end up with excessive force complaints. Don’t let those SVU cops eat you alive._

From her new bureau chief:  
_Careful with overreaching. Every ADA through here has used up every favor, every contact they had… The stakes are higher and everyone skates a very fine line down here. Watch yourself that you don’t cross it._

From her old-co-workers:  
_There goes your great win/loss ratio, that’s all over now. Play them close the the vest, Casey, plow through and don’t go for too many plea agreements, you don’t want to look soft on the perverts. And for God’s sake, don’t make yourself a target, you know what happened to the last DA there._

From her hairstylist:  
_New job, new look!_

From her subconscious:  
_Retreat to your office._

-

She really didn’t know why she thought she could seek refuge in her office. The armor of arrogance she tried to distance herself with had worn thin, leaving her bare. From the first day, the first few minutes of the first case, she wanted to throw up. She wondered if there was ever going to be a time, from now on, that she didn’t feel this way. She sat down on the couch in her office, holding her head in her hands, trying to take deep, even breaths and hold onto her composure. She assumed that her office would be private. She should have locked the door and closed the blinds, but that would not really have been any escape. Apparently, there was no escape. Not this case, not this assignment, and definitely not these detectives. 

“Could you have been any harder on that little girl?” The detective called out, loud and accusing as she entered the room. 

She didn’t have to look up. It was Olivia. Of course it was going to be Olivia who would have to be the one to come barreling after her. 

And of course, Olivia caught her when everything caught up with her and was breaking free in the form of tears. Did the everyone really think she wanted to traumatize the little girl? She gathered herself together though, and for once, instead of rattling off a band of explanations, she settled for the simple fact behind everything she was feeling.

“I’m sorry,” she said. She got up and crossed the room to break eye contact, and to find a tissue to clean up her face when she heard the sigh.

“Nobody thinks they can do this at first,” Olivia said, responding to the vulnerability she saw. The detective’s voice was softer now. 

Casey took a deep breath, trying to get herself together. “I knew I was about to be moved-up. I wanted straight homicide. All the glory, no living victims. I’ve dealt with people who have lost their homes, marriages, their life savings, their retirements…” She shook her head a little and continued, “I worked felonies for a while. I’ve seen people hurt, but not like this.” She sighed when she realize that she was talking too much again. 

“The first thing you have to learn,” Olivia said, “is that no one can handle the children.”

That stopped the redhead cold, and yet… “How do you?” she couldn’t help asking.

Olivia looked apologetic. “I hate to tell you, but it doesn’t get easier.” 

She stared into those deep brown eyes and felt the urge to ramble again. 

She looked left and right. “How do you all go home at night? What do you talk about? How do you have a normal life? A date? Anything, once you see this sickness all day long?”

“Well,” Olivia said. She thought a moment and sighed. “Fin doesn’t talk about his personal life at work. Elliot doesn’t talk about work at home,” she shrugged. “Munch hides himself in his divorces, books and conspiracy theories, but has given up on pretty much everything else.”

“And you?” Casey knew this question was probably too personal, but the woman knew half her life story, so really, fair was fair. 

“I used to rock climb, spend time with friends, go out when I could.” she took a deep breath. “You’re going to find that dating is… complicated. You’re going to find that people are either scared away or a little too interested in what you do. If you are lucky enough to find someone who will just be there for you, then try to hold onto that as best you can… for as long as you can, because it’s all fleeting.” Her voice almost had a hitch at the end. 

Casey took that all in. Let the heaviness of it sit for a moment. She caught the artful evasion of the answer. And also, a hint of sorrow in Olivia’s voice, but it didn’t quite fill in the blanks. 

She didn’t want to go any further, poke any more at anyone’s wounds, but a question sat unanswered at the head of all of this. “Why do you all do it then?”

Olivia stood up, and put a hand on Casey’s shoulder. “Because, somebody has to,” she said as she headed toward the door.

Casey sighed. “I think I did warn you, once, that you wouldn’t like the lawyer in me.”

“Yes, you did,” Olivia said and walked out of the office.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on part 2:  
>  _"I think I did warn you, once, that you wouldn't like the lawyer in me."_  
>  _"Yes, you did," Olivia said and walked out of the office._

 

Murphy’s (Not So Obscure) Law #17- If there is a piece of information that would be helpful for you to have, you will be the last person to have it. 

-

Lawyers, she knew, did not like surprises. But they learned to deal with them and move on. Casey also knew that switching gears quickly was not in her preferred skill set. She liked being able to predict a course. She liked being on solid ground.

She rolled with changes the best she could. The months in her new job had begun to merge into a hazy blur of steady progress with the SVU, pitted with occasional hostility. Something she could count on.

The squad that she worked with could at turns be indignant and patronizing, or calm and reasoning. Sometimes within the same visit. It kept Casey on her toes. But it also left her itching to figure out some sort of middle ground. She was starting to come to the realization there was none. 

As time wore on though, hostilities became less personal and more railing against the system and they had a sort of cyclical certainty. They also didn’t always go one way. 

And now it was her turn. 

Her frustration hadn’t even leveled off on her walk back to the precinct. Not that she had bothered trying to calm down. 

She walked in and slammed her coat and briefcase on the first desk with the most open space. 

“The judge denied the motion,” she announced. 

Elliot looked to Olivia and then back at Casey. “And yet you don’t look happy,” she said.

“Defense argued that the warrant was obtained with a factually flawed petition.”

“It was an error on the paperwork,” Olivia protested. 

“And thankfully, the judge agreed that even with the error, there remained sufficient factual basis for probable cause,” Casey admitted, letting out a sigh she took a deep breath and finally felt her anger and stress subsiding a bit. 

“So what’s the problem?”

She looked at them like they were growing horns. “He saw through the bluff and he is not going to be as forgiving in the future. So, next time don’t get me a disciplinary action warning.”

“It was an oversight.”

“I don’t do oversights,” she said tersely. “And I doubt you do either.” 

She picked up her things and turned to walk out.

 

-

 

Casey looked up from behind the machine as she waited for it to register the quarters she just inserted. 

She blinked twice trying to make sense of the detective standing on the other side of the chain link cage before turning to swing at the final two balls in the set and walked over. 

Benson must have drawn the short straw. Or perhaps it was simply Olivia’s turn to hunt her down to get her to acquiesce to SVU’s ways and means. 

That the squad was able to track her down at the batting cages so easily gave her pause about her predictability.

“You’ve got some pop in that bat.” Olivia said.

Casey tilted her head in disbelief and furrowed her brow. “Where do you guys get this stuff. Cragen said the exact same thing to me when he followed me here.” She stepped back into the box, hit the button for another and smashed the next ball into a power line drive. “Does that sound like pop?”

“Okay, okay,” Olivia held her hand up. “Sorry. You have a hell of a swing.”

“Better,” Casey said and smirked. She turned and approached the door to the cages. “Did you come here to practice.”

Olivia smirked. “I leave the softball to Elliot.”

Casey raised a brow and waited. 

“The relationship between SVU and the DAs office is based on trust.”

“I’m going to have to find another outlet for my work stress, aren’t I.” She said more to herself than to anyone else. She shook her head and clear her throat and turned her full attention through the chain link to Olivia. “You guys have made it pretty clear that you don’t trust me.”

“Actually, I think we were well on our way there,” Olivia said. “On both of our sides.”

“And yet I still got winged by friendly fire.”

“I am sorry about that. But you really are starting to win over the squad.”

“I’d settle for not being treated like I’m working against you.”

“Sometimes we have to go on gut instinct to protect a life.”

“Then come to me, especially when you are playing it fast and loose. I need to know when I can actually back you guys up and when I just have to hope for the best.” 

“Was the judge’s warning bad enough to send you all the way here?”

She took off her batting helmet and swept a hand through her hair. “Yes and no,” she said. “My bureau chief has been watching a bit close since the Abbot case.”

“I didn’t realize,” Olivia said, wincing. 

“It’s one of the reasons I’ve been a bit of a stickler for the rules lately, the dust needs to settle before you guys can run roughshod again.”

Olivia gave her an apologetic tilt of her head. She brought one of her hands out from her jacket pocket. It had a roll of quarters for the pitching machine.

Casey couldn’t help but laugh. She accepted the offering with a quirked brow. 

Olivia gave her a slightly crooked half smile and a small wave before leaving her to it. 

Casey could only stare after that smile half-stunning her in its wake.  
That smile was going to get her into trouble. 

By far, the animosity was becoming the easier part of that particular relationship. Casey was a lawyer, animosity was part and parcel with the job. It was the moments when it was absent that left Casey unsure of which move to make next. 

 

-

 

This time, she spotted the detective halfway down the block, waiting next to the bike racks. 

“You ride a bike to work in Manhattan?” Olivia said, mirth evident in her voice as Casey pedaled in and dismounted. “Is that sane?”

“It is, if you ride like you’re invisible or everybody is trying to hit you,” Casey said. She removed her helmet and shook out her hair, running a hand through it and looked up at the detective as she continued her amused rant.

“So, the courtroom’s not enough to keep your adrenaline pumping?” Olivia said, giving her that disarming, crooked half-smile. “Not fulfilling your competitive drive?”

Casey’s shoulders shook with a small laugh as she stretched a bit, causing the fitted biking shirt to rise slightly and expose her midriff. She pulled it down a little too quickly. 

“What makes you think I’m competitive?” She gave a smile in lieu of hello, grateful that some aspect of her amused the usually dour detective.

“You’re a lawyer.”

“I’ll give you that one,” she said. She shook her head as she let out another laugh. “How’d you find me?”

“Called your office.”

“I can’t decide if my assistant is either great at keeping my schedule or if I’m just that predictable.”

“A good assistant is worth their weight in gold. But I did press her because we had a change in witnesses early this morning.”

Olivia stepped closer and handed over the file. 

Casey looked through it. It was bare-bones minimum. They were all bare-bones minimums. She closed the file and scratched her ear. 

“This might be hard to get in. How good is this witness?”

“Good. You need to get her in front of the judge.”

Casey bit her lower lip in thought and then nodded. “Can you give me ten minutes to change and actually get into my office?” She indicated her outfit. 

“Okay. Ten minutes,” Olivia said, gracing her with a full smile. “I’ll even bring coffee.”

“Deal,” Casey said, throat going slightly dry. 

That damn smile had caught her off guard and brought a small jolt of adrenaline with it. 

She was absolutely sure now, that she she preferred the scowls she had grown used to. 

 

-

 

By the time Olivia returned, Casey was in a suit and arguing with another lawyer, their negotiation echoing out into the halls. 

“My client won’t accept more than five years.”

“Eight to ten is what’s on the table and that’s a gift.”

The defense lawyer laughed derisively. “I’d hate to make things more difficult with a police harassment charge.”

It wasn’t exactly shouting but it was heading that way. Olivia walked in and subtly positioned herself to the side the ADA’s desk, placing both coffees down. The lawyers continued arguing without pause at the intrusion. 

“You come after this squad with unfounded accusations and I will dedicate every minute of my time to making sure your clients get the absolute maximum time the law can throw at them.” Casey said dryly and then sipped at her newly arrived coffee. 

“You’ve seen the new administration,” she continued. “We have no conscious about these things,” Casey said. Her voice was low and raspy and one eyebrow was raised. “If you think I’m just spouting off, you should ask around about me.” She ended, nonplussed. 

“I never thought I’d see the day when I’d miss Cabot,” the other lawyer said. 

“Get in line. It’s a very long one.” 

“She would have made the deal.”

She rolled her eyes. “I know Cabot’s cases in and out. She wouldn’t have budged either.” She took another sip of coffee. “Eight to ten or gamble with the jury at 15-20.”

Defense council looked as if he wanted to reply. Olivia raised an eyebrow at him. He glared back and left the room. 

Casey rolled her eyes again. 

Olivia came around the the chair in front of Novak’s desk and took in the lawyer’s calm features. “You should have said that in front of the guys.”

“That’s not my style.” She sighed again and ran a hand through her hair. “I’m not out to throw you guys under a bus.”

“And we’re not trying to make your job harder.”

Casey bit her lip, thinking it over. “I know. And I get it now, believe me. I haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep since I started here.”

Olivia seemed to think that over for a minute. “You need to compartmentalize,” she said with a hint of sympathy in her voice.

“I’m sorry?”

“The lousy sleep, no appetite, and lack a personal life. With this job, you’re going to have to learn to compartmentalize to protect those things. At least until-”

“Until I don’t feel sucker punched?”

“Don’t let this job drain you.”

“I’ll take that under advisement,” Casey said. “Thank you for the coffee.” 

Olivia sipped at her own coffee and looked around. Finally, she spoke up again, “Can I ask an undiplomatic question?”

“I have seen no evidence of the contrary where I’m concerned,” Casey smirked. 

Olivia laughed an actual, full, loud, laugh. It was a fantastic sound that tugged at something inside Casey’s chest. 

“How did you get this big of an office?”

“It’s just attached to a conference room, it’s not as big as it seems.”

“Come on, you know it’s big for an ADA.” 

She smiled in quiescence. “That’s because it’s technically a White Collar office. Opposing counsel from fortune 500 companies come with entire teams of legal support. You need a large office and access to a conference room constantly. Not sure why they let me keep it.”

The smiled faded from Olivia’s face. “I thought that maybe it was our fault.” She cleared her throat. “No one was ready to clean out Alex’s office,” Olivia said. 

The detective’s voice quavered softly at the name and everything seemed to coalesce then for Casey. She’d spent so much time trying to play catch up that she failed to fully appreciate everything that had gone on with her predecessor. She’d never even considered the personal side of things. 

She had known that the squad had been fond of Cabot. But so had the DAs office; the woman had practically been canonized by the bureau chief. 

Those in and around the office loved to reiterate not only Alex Cabot’s reputation to Casey, but also the rumors of fraternization. Casey had never put much stock in rumors, but apparently there was more to this one than conjecture. And now, her stomach sank once again. She tucked her own hair behind her ears and studied the floor.

A number of things made so much sense now, and left Casey with even less of an idea of what to say. Eventually she had to break the silence and cleared her throat. “Okay,” she said softly. “Tell me about this witness.”

She swore Olivia flashed a smile of thanks at her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on part 3:
> 
>  
> 
> _Casey was a lawyer, animosity was part and parcel with the job. It was the moments when it was absent that left Casey unsure of which move to make next._

Murphy’s (Not So Obscure) Law #33 - Left to themselves, things (and by things, I mean crushes) will go from bad to worse.

\- 

To those who did not know Casey very well, she came across as transparent. She had a reputation for being upfront, no nonsense. That was because for the most part, she was. She had no patience for subterfuge, no time for subtlety. Of course, for those that truly knew her, beyond the sarcasm, the beautiful face, the athletic figure, she was not that transparent at all. Beyond the facade of wearing everything on her shoulders and never being afraid of saying any thought that crossed her mind, she was a starry-eyed romantic with a cautious, cautious heart. 

Early on, she had tried to take Olivia’s advice of compartmentalizing her life to heart. She really had. It wasn’t carelessness or complacency that made her give up on the practice. She’d learned to live with her job’s realities, but there came a point when she had to stop trying to make her job work with her life and lifestyle. That had just ground everything to a halt. 

She had much better luck trying to fit her life in around her job. 

But that also meant being caught when trying to let herself be herself. And that the person she was behind the job often collided with - well, everything else. 

The bleeding of her personal self into the workplace had started with little jokes and sarcastic comments that Casey muttered mainly to amuse herself. She hadn’t thought anyone would really notice. But more and more she caught Olivia smirking at her, or rolling her eyes and shaking her head. 

Then came opening up about more than just an opinion on the cases. 

Then came sharing more and more- anything that was asked about, regardless of how personal it might have been. 

She’d ended up earning her friendship with Olivia by degrees. By working dinners. By bad jokes after preparing testimony. By listening, just listening during afterwork drinks. By promising to never try and make her play softball.

The problem, she found, with a hard-built friendship is that she didn’t realize that it made Olivia impervious to her walls of self-protection. 

She thought she could prioritize and protect the friendship. It might have worked, too, if her muddled feelings didn’t recurrently catch her unaware- not quite with her pants down- but definitely with her shoes off.

 

_A series of barefooted events: 1_

Olivia came by her office to hand over the latest witness’ statement. She stopped short of the desk, seeing the Casey typing on the computer perched upon her lap, foot up on the couch and covered in a bag of ice.

“What happened to you?” she came in closer to inspect the injury. 

“Nothing, just twisted my ankle doing something dumb.”

“What were you doing?” 

“I don’t think I’m going to tell you that.” 

Immediately curious, Olivia leaned further forward. “Why?”

“I bet you can work that one out yourself,” she smirked.

“If it’s that embarrassing then I am even more curious,” she said, and smiled that damned crooked half smile again. 

Her heart thumped once, hard, but she was proud that her voice gave no evidence of it. “No.”

“Oh, come on. It can’t be that bad.”

“It’s not bad it was just a bit brainless.” She could feel her cheeks start flush.

“Please,” she smiled even more. 

Casey closed her eyes. That please was just unfair. “Fine, I twisted it in yoga.”

“What’s embarrassing about that?”

“I may or may not have gotten a moisturizing treatment with a friend earlier in the day and forgot about it.”

Olivia blinked for a moment and then went tight lipped, trying to hold in a laugh. 

“Don’t say it,” Casey warned.

“Wouldn’t think of it.” She said, the amusement not very well hidden in her voice. “Sounds slippery.”

“I’m glad that I could bring you some mirth in your day.”

“Really, I’m laughing with you.”

“Sure you are.” Casey narrowed her eyes but smiled trying prevent herself from laughing but she ended up laughing along side her anyway. When her laughter finally died down she tried to stop smiling but could still feel her dimples out in full. 

Olivia felt herself staring, staring and starting to get lost in it. She cleared her throat. “I have those revised statements.” 

“Thanks,” Casey said. “Sorry to have you run back here, but the defense is looking for any little thing to file motions about and drag this out.”

“Not a problem,” Olivia said. She motioned to Casey’s iced ankle. “Need me to run anything to the clerk for you?”

“No, it’s fine, I’ll do it on my way out.” she said. “But thank you.”

“Try not to let your hobbies take you down before we get this case in session,” Olivia said, smirking on her way out. 

 

_2- some months later_

Olivia gently pushed through the open door and slowed as she saw the young redhead preparing a closing argument out loud while pacing barefoot, her shoes abandoned next to her desk. 

Casey looked at detective in her doorway, paused her litany and raised an eyebrow. “I have the warrant ready if you have the cause.”

“We do,” Olivia said. “Sorry to pull you away from your lunch.”

Casey opened a flap on her briefcase and pulled out a bottle of superfood-smoothie and put it on her desk. “This and my closing are all I have time for.”

“That’s not a lunch. You need real food.” She presented a paper bag from which she pulled out a turkey sandwich and coffee. 

“You’ve known me how long? And you think you know my achilles?” 

“Maybe,” Olivia knowingly smiled. 

Casey tried to hold a straight face but ended up laughing. “Fine,” she said. “You do.” she smiled. “Thank you, but unfortunately, I’m not that hungry.”

“Well, it’ll be here when you are.”

Casey took a sip of the coffee and sighed happily, but got up from behind her desk for the warrant. 

Olivia watched her quickly finish up the paperwork, as well as sneak a bite from the sandwich and smiled to herself. 

“Do you always practice your closings out loud?”

The woman swallowed and the corner of Casey’s mouth twisted in a sardonic smile. “Actually, yes. Closings. Opening statements. I like to hear where the details hit and miss. I have been told I even talk in my sleep,” she laughed and sat down. “But I have to present these things to people who may not have even passed high school. So, I go over everything out loud to listen from other perspectives.”

Olivia nodded, mulling it over. It explained a lot. “You seem to be hitting your stride,” she smiled. 

Casey was exhausted and could only shrug. “I’d like to get just a bit more comfortable,” she said. She took another sip of coffee. “I was well suited for White Collar. I used to be someone to contend with,” she sighed. “Numbers, nuances, little details… Did you ever notice that attorneys that know me rarely try to bury me in paperwork? That’s because one little error and I had you. Now there’s a copy of DNA for dummies on my nightstand, and I spend every free minute in violent crime courses like; science for attorneys, or trial techniques for violent offenders... I’ve turned in 2-3 years worth of continuing legal education credits in the time I’ve been here.”

“Well,” Olivia said, patting her arm, sending unexpected tingles through Casey’s body. “It’s working.”

“Olivia,” she said. 

Olivia turned to look at her before leaving the room warrant in hand and raised her eyebrows. 

“Thank you.”

 

_3- months later than that_

She did appreciate that it was Saturday morning. She was trying to make the most of it, stretched out on the couch. 

Even if it was the couch in her office. 

She propped her pedicured feet, red nail polish and all, up onto the arm in mild protest. She would have liked to have gotten a manicure too, but work calls when it calls. 

Olivia had been staring from the doorway. When she finally moved forward, she thought of the first thing to gloss over the fact that she’d probably been caught staring once again. 

“I’ve been catching you with your shoes off a lot lately,” she smiled, a bit of wickedness in her eyes. “Should I start calling you Shoeless Joe?”

Casey’s heart fluttered at that smile and she sat up, perhaps a little too quickly. 

“It’s the weekend,” Casey said. “You’re lucky I still have my suit on,” she said. 

The corner of Olivia’s mouth twitched, but she resisted the temptation to tease the attorney even further. Instead, she looked at the shoes in question again and didn’t look convinced. “Do you buy them too small?”

“No.”

“Did they shrink?”

Casey laughed and stood up. “Well, those are not my favorites,” she said. “But they do fit even if I haven’t worn them in a while.” She smiled. “However, I spent the better part of my youth collecting quite a few injuries. The damn heels get to me some days. And this has been a very long week.”

“Late night?”

“I wish,” she said. “Briefs, prep, and then the gym so I at least get my monthly fee’s worth. You?”

“I wish,” she said and shook her head. “It’s been a while for me too. Come to think of it, I probably should go out before my favorite shoes get too small for me too,” she winked. 

“They fit,” Casey laughed as she stood.

Olivia noted the height difference immediately. With her boots on and Novak’s shoes still dangling from her hand, she was taller. Her smile took on a predatory hint. 

Casey gulped and made a bit of a show of slipping them back on easily as they headed out of the office. She had to lengthen her stride to catch up.

 

_4- The barefooted event that was not barefooted_

She was glancing around, mildly people watching during the intermission when a familiar voice in an unfamiliar tone caused her to turn. Casey tried not to let her eyes fall out of her head at the sight of Olivia, she should have concentrated on not letting her jaw fall open also. 

“Well, don’t you clean up nice, counselor,” Olivia said, her voice nearly at a purr.

“I could say the same for you,” Casey said and then faltered once more at the kiss on the cheek that followed. It fell in line with the other proper greetings spread throughout the mingling crowd in the lobby of the playhouse, but damn if it didn’t send a spark through her body. 

She also knew she was not the only person stunned in Olivia Benson’s wake. Even tonight, taking in Olivia’s simple black dress, she could see the woman’s effect on many. 

Olivia took in Casey’s own outfit again, slowly, and then winked. The sudden scrutiny making the redhead’s cheeks pink slightly. 

“Now those are very nice shoes,” Olivia said, her voice a little breathy a little deeper before it turned teasing. “I do hope you got to them in time, before they fell to the same fate as so many of your shrinking work pairs, because if these aren’t your favorite,” Olivia said, a slight glint in her eyes. “They really should be.” 

Casey cleared her throat a little, smiling modestly. She knew she looked good tonight, but still… These heels were high enough to make her legs seem to go on forever. They were made to be noticed. Having absolutely no idea what to say to the fact that it was Olivia who had noticed, she tried to deflect. “Looks like our star witness is going to haves a nearly sold-out show.”

“Well, we heard so much about it, who could withstand the curiosity?”

“Munch and Finn,” Casey said. 

Olivia laughed. “True, but even Elliot’s brining Kathy to tomorrow night’s showing.”

She smiled again, drinking in the detective’s presence. Her mind swimming with traitorous thoughts. Many of which were a little too happy that she’d chosen an outfit that seemed to capture Olivia’s attention. They almost caused her to miss her date giving her a wave from the bar that she was solicitously fetching drink refills from. She smiled and waved back.

Olivia noticed interaction and almost scoffed. “Is that your date?”

“Yes.”

“Is she,” Olivia couldn’t contain her teasing. “Is she a co-ed Casey?”

It was wonderful to see mischief and amusement sparkling in the woman’s eyes, even if it was directed at her. It had been a while since she’d seen either, and she found her gaze lingering. But eventually the words and their meaning caught up with Casey’s brain. 

“She graduated,” Casey said, feeling a bit embarrassed about it though she tried to at least pretend to be indignant. 

Olivia snorted her laughter. “How long ago?”

“Long enough.”

“Have you been holding out on me because of her age? Or have I just not heard about this- because I certainly do not remember you saying anything about a sweet young thing at dinner this week.”

Working dinners had been happening regularly over the last few months. They included the various other detectives when they were working a case that had demanded more hours. But Olivia and Casey had a habit of staying a bit later, sharing more than case notes and found themselves often talking about mundane life tidbits as well as occasional personal history bombs that neither could quite believe they were disclosing so easily. 

“My friends set me up. They think I need to get la-” she cleared her throat, “Get out more.” She shrugged and sipped the remaining, watered down alcohol in her drink. “I’ve never been the older woman.”

Olivia looked back over at her date and stared, pensive for a moment. She turned back to Casey and smirked. “You know what the younger ones do, right? They want to wrap you up in a fuzzy blanket and make all the badness go away.”

Casey rolled her eyes. “What about your date?” 

Olivia nodded at a man in an expensive suit gesticulating at the bartender. “Not as interesting as he first seemed,” she sighed, smile frozen. 

“Oh, Liv. I think he’s mansplaining Jame’s Bond’s weak martini to the bartender.”

“That sounds about right.”

Casey put a hand on her wrist. “You can’t drink whatever he brings you, you know the bartender’s going to spit in it. I’ll get you another and you can swap it out when he’s not looking.” 

Olivia shook her head, laughing. “I might have to take you up on that offer.”

 

Casey had tried many times to come to terms with her attraction throughout the year. She had assumed that by acknowledging her attraction that she would be able to get over it. That it would allow her to enjoy and accept the hard fought friendship they had formed. She was very, very wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...and we're all caught up. Forgot I hadn't started posting this here. This is where I am. the next two parts are about 80% and 50% complete. 
> 
> Also, yes, obviously i love to misuse commas. I also misuse idioms, the word ‘and’, and commit various other grammatical high crimes and misdemeanors. Let me know about anything too egregious) - Oh, also, I have maybe-60%finished-sequel to this fic and maybe one other C/O rattling around in my head or my laptop, but I’m a rampant multi-shipper so I have other ship’s fics in my to finish lineup. … so if it is C/O you are particularly hooked on… I don’t know after this, I might need a prompt or two…)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Chapter 4:
> 
> _Casey had tried many times to come to terms with her attraction throughout the year. She had assumed that by acknowledging her attraction that she would be able to get over it._

Murphy’s (Not So Obscure) Law #64 : By the time you feel like everything is going to hit the fan, it already has. 

-

 

“I can’t believe the guys got out of here before us.”

The men in the squad had left before the ink was dry on their paperwork. The invitation to meet up with them at the bar was still open, but there was an implicit understanding that Olivia looked like she needed someone to talk to, and lately that preferred someone was Casey. 

Finally, Casey stood up from her perch on the corner of Olivia’s desk. 

“Do you want to go get a drink?” she said. “We could meet up with them, or go somewhere else if you want.”

Olivia closed her eyes and let her head fall back against her chair. She nodded faintly. 

Casey moved to pick up her things but Olivia’s voice, quiet and almost distant stopped her. 

“Did you ever wonder what would have happened if I’d given you my number that day,” she said softly. 

“What?”

Olivia looked over at her. “If things had been different for those women. If the woman in line for coffee had followed through with the flirting runner, if she had given that runner her number.”

Casey sat back down in surprise. She was so weary from the week, from trying to shelter herself from the horrors of their case and hold it together, that she could do nothing but answer honestly. She gave a soft, small smile that was evident in her voice. “I don’t think she would’ve waited very long to call.”

“What would she have said?”

Casey continued playing along and let her mind follow that daydream. “She would have asked her to meet at this place, Anthony’s, over by 30 Rock for drinks.”

Olivia smiled. “Is that a special first date place?”

Casey shrugged. “It’s an easy place to like. It’s comfortable and easy to be yourself there,” she smiled and drifted back to that daydream. “She would have worn something nice to add a different impression to the tomboy image she had probably left that woman who had been a little too easy to talk to.”

“Then what?”

“If that went well, she would have seen if they were up to walking a few blocks to this particular restaurant. White tablecloths, intimate seating, beautiful lighting kind of place.”

Olivia sighed. “Sounds nice.”

Casey let the silence grow. 

“We should do it.”

Casey’s mouth fell open. 

“I need a completely different headspace tonight. What do you say?”

Casey closed her mouth and eyes and instantly knew it was a bad idea. 

Olivia’s ex had flashed into her life, back from the dead, back from witness protection to testify, and was whisked out again, just as fast. Elliot was no longer a steady rock to stand by, not a stalwart partner but a seething powder keg of instability. And then, because of a case, Olivia had ended up rehashing some of the worst things she’d gone through with her mother. She couldn’t possibly be in a good place. 

It was a tremendously bad idea.

And she still couldn’t stop from saying, “Meet me at 7.” 

If Olivia needed to be someone else tonight, some other version of herself, who was Casey to say no. 

She walked out before she could change her mind. 

-

 

Her hair was wavy from the recent rain but she still chose to wear it down. She chose a navy dress under her light blue peacoat for the cool evening. She nervously walked up to the bar where Olivia was sitting, looking completely gorgeous in black slacks, a fitted shirt and that favorite leather jacket. 

“Hi,” she said. 

“Hi,” Olivia said. “I’m ahead of you by one, let me get you a drink.”

“I asked you to meet me,” Casey protested. 

“You can get the next round,” she smiled. She looked around. “You know, for all the screens around, it doesn’t really feel like a sports bar.”

Casey smiled. “You might feel differently during playoffs. But yeah, it’s why I like it here. They also don’t ever go overboard on the noise levels and they can make a good bellini martini. Nice wine list, too.”

“Always a good sign,” Olivia said. “So, you frequent sports bars. Upscale ones, I’ll give you that, but I always forget how big a sports fan you are.”

“I wouldn’t say big, but, yes,” she smiled and shrugged. “It runs in the family, and keeping up can make small talk during visits home easier.”

-

 

It was refreshing to smile and drink and mildly flirt while talking about a thousand little things that had absolutely nothing to do with anything. Work was banned from conversation in a sort of unspoken agreement. But if they thought it would keep them from having anything to talk about, they were wrong. Their conversation bled so effortlessly into dinner that before she knew it, they were ordering their food over candlelight and sharing a bottle of wine. 

“So what do you do once you get a woman to dinner?” Olivia smiled the smile that always sent shivers down to Casey’s toes and often caused her to hold her breath. “What’s you first date dinner conversation starter.”

She blinked and brushed her hair off her shoulder to shake it off and take a breath. She smiled and said, “It has been a while, so I honestly have no idea. I don’t really plan those things out. I like getting to know someone. Maybe - tell me something you like about the city, something I wouldn’t guess.”

Olivia flashed another grin, all teeth and twinkle in her eye and said, “Broadway.”

“Yeah?” A wave of something like joy hit her stomach. They’d known each other for a little while, and yet- that kind of surprise was one of her favorite things. 

“Yes,” she smiled again. “Plays. Musicals,” she said. “My mother started me young. We’d get all dressed up and get last minute or seat-filler tickets. She liked taking me to shows that were inspired by all of the books she read to me all.” 

The smile Olivia gave was soft and affectionate, and not bittersweet like Casey might have expected. Casey smiled in reflex. 

“What about you?” Olivia turned her question back on her. 

“I guess I would have to say that I have a soft spot for Lincoln Center.” She said. “My dad loves music. Jazz, blues, classical. I got to go because nobody else in the family would. And then because I really wanted to.”

Olivia’s warm eyes caught her gaze and caused her chest to tighten. This close, this unguarded, no defensive humor to mask everything else, their jobs and every other limiting factor left behind for the night - she felt a dangerously strong pull.

Everything was too easy. Their evening flowed seamlessly together. They finished coffee and shared a desert. And before she knew it, they were sharing a cab. 

She couldn’t even pinpoint when there started to be more touching between the two of them, though it started to show up more and more after that first year. There had been the occasional sitting side by side reading a deposition. A leaning on her shoulder in a shared cab once or twice. A long hug after a particularly brutal night. A shoulder to help stabilize into her apartment after a brutal softball game. 

But could all of that cause such a familiarity that she barely noticed that they’d kept brushing hands at dinner? Or that they’d spent the cab ride home with their thighs pressed against one another. 

And next. Next there’d probably be another hug. The kind that would make her heart pound.

She had the cab wait as she walked Olivia to the doorstep. Any alarm bells that had been present had been dulled by drinks and dinner and the damned soft lighting in the restaurant. Even now, the street lights of Manhattan were gently reflecting off Olivia’s hair. 

She inhaled deeply, trying to let the chill in the air break the spell of it, let some sort of reality break back in, but it didn’t seem to work. 

Olivia looked around like she was going to find what she wanted to say somewhere along the unfocused street, she ended up looking back at Casey and smiled. The were close enough that their hands brushed again. “I had a really great time.”

Casey’s eyes lingered around Olivia’s face. She had been avoiding looking at her directly and when she finally met Olivia’s eyes again, she could see that she’d been caught. Casey ducked her head with a smile that brought out both her dimples, currently hidden behind the locks of red hair that came forward. “So did I.”

Her eyes fluttered shut when she felt Olivia’s hand brush by her cheek as she softly pushed the hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. 

Casey stepped into her, closing what little distance was left between them, and kissed her. 

Heat ran through her body like it had been ignited. She felt the lightest brush of Olivia’s tongue along her lower lip and a small sound escaped from her that she would never admit being a whimper or a moan, not that soon, not from just that simple contact. 

One of her hands went to Olivia’s hair, her other eased over a hip, pulling in more firmly, bringing their bodies into contact down their length and kissing her thoroughly enough to ease the longing that had been growing all evening. 

They both sank into it, felt the kiss ramp up, and finally when it got to be too much, let it smolder. 

Casey wondered for a moment if she actually felt her legs going weak. 

Olivia looked at her, expression unreadable, then pressed in once more, a firmer, quick kiss and said, “Good night,” before turning into her building. 

Leaving Casey stunned and wondering what the hell they just did.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have have tried to write and re-write this part so many times, but somewhat ironically - this story has been hit with many life interruptions and overall crappyness (bad luck, a death in a friend’s family, a death in mine) … so, I don’t think I can force the angst that I would like to here, my heart is just not in it. And without forcing it… we’re left with fluff. Not sure why this fluff was so hard to finalize, but ANYWAY - Don’t worry, if you want angst, the sequel to this one is rooted in angst - and is 60% done already-though I won’t post a single part without completing it first. I have learned my lesson.

-  
Some of Murphy’s Not so Obscure Laws − 6  
-

 

Murphy’s (Not So Obscure) Law #42: There is an exception to every law.

 

-o0o-

 

It looked like it was going to be even warmer in the afternoon, leaving Casey with one conclusion: NY was mocking her. 

The gray-black ice-sludge was beginning to melt away from the curbs. Spring training predictions were starting to come in. The streets had a palpable sense of optimism; people were braving outdoor tables for long and lazy brunches, flowers were starting to bud. 

Casey ran past it all at the fastest clip that she could handle, willing the exertion to blank out her mind. 

 

It wasn’t working. 

 

That night with Olivia had been a setup for the disaster that had been lurking behind their friendship. One that had been building for ages. And yet they still dared each other to play ‘what if.’ 

She knew they had been playing with fire.

The truth was that she had been living with this crush for a long time. It had been fine. She had been fine. She thought she was managing it well, for the most part. And she was happy, letting it be. After all, being aware of a crush had never really changed anything for Casey. The world didn’t stop. Work didn’t stop. Her life didn’t stop. It was just another fact. 

She didn’t know when this crush had moved beyond it’s foundation in attraction and respect, but now… now she had chemistry to admit to as well. She knew that she was on a slippery slope - and that she was sliding into dangerous territory.

Because now, she was able to add sensory details to infrastructure of the crush. So many sensory details. She could remember the heat of Olivia’s mouth, the feel of her body pressed close, the gentle, strong hands on her back. 

Normally, she was able to give or take the not-so-uncommon radio silence after a date. But, she also knew that it hadn’t been a traditional date - that it might not have even been a real date, it might have been just the ending of a hypothetical night in the land of ‘it could have been.’ 

And the quiet in the aftermath made her uneasy. Frenetic even. She couldn’t and wouldn’t sit still. She didn’t know exactly what she wanted out of any exchange with Olivia that may come. The only thing she knew for sure was that she wasn’t going to be the one to bring it up. 

 

She pushed even harder towards the end of her run, integrating several sprints to try and shake her reverie, but nothing seemed to help dissipate any of it. Her brain, her heart, her attention, remained steadfast no matter what her speed or exertion. Nothing had worked to clear her mind recently. She didn’t know why she thought today would be any different.

The past few days she had tried to revel in her work, the briefs that had her researching, looking hard at unusual case law to get needed warrants, coming in at all hours. 

She’d suffered through the recent days of perfect weather, an astoundingly quiet building, and warm golden light infiltrating through the curtains early in the mornings. 

And still, her anxious energy had her ahead of all errands. Clothes picked up from the cleaners, apartment cleaned, taxes prepared. All with time to spare. Unable to truly enjoy any of it.

She was doing everything she could to convince herself to just let things lie. She wasn’t winning that argument though. But then again, hearts were always immune to logic. 

She grudgingly admitted that the fair weather did bring the advantage of making her run even more smooth. 

 

She slowed to a walk at her destination and paced and stretched a bit as she finally accepted the need to slow her body even if she could not slow her mind. 

People were out in droves enjoying the outdoors without their winter jackets and gloves. It made it even easier to blend into the crowd. 

She walked and enjoyed the warmth in the change of the season. She knew she was due for water but the strong, comforting smell of coffee pulled her toward the perennially long line. Settling in to wait, she tried to focus on a mental to-do list for the rest of the day. Anything to distract herself so she could breathe easier and perhaps get a good night sleep. 

She knew she’d end up having to go headlong into Monday morning on routine alone. She would throw herself immediately into case prep. Back to the quiet tightrope. Back to ignoring the want to slip her hand into Olivia’s. Back to ignoring how close they’d sometimes sit. Back to pretending that she didn’t specifically note what would make Olivia smile or laugh. Back to not talking about certain things in their lives on purpose. 

The line moved fast in her inattention. Coffee finally in hand her she pulled off the lid trying to decide if she wanted to add milk. She ended up staring into the cup and tried to force herself to think about work, calls she needed to make when a voice made her look up. 

 

“I know it’s good, but you are staring at that coffee like it’s going to give you the answers to the universe.” 

 

She knew here eyes showed complete surprise when she looked up to see Olivia three feet away from her, taking up one of the small tables with a nearly empty mug and a Sunday Times. 

Casey couldn’t stop the beaming smile starting to form if she tried. Nor could she stop the influx of every single detailed memory agin, not to mention what it did to her body. She was very happy that the major blush she could feel creeping up could be mistaken for then recent exercise.

 

“What are you doing here?” she finally said, unable to keep the smile out of her voice.

Olivia motioned for her to sit at the table. 

“I’ve grown very attached to the coffee here,” she said, smiling a little half-smirking smile.

Casey ducked her head a bit to hide the responding gulp, and to diminish her beaming smile as she sat down in the other chair Olivia offered for her to sit. “Is that so?” 

“And I was hoping you’d show up.” Her smile softened into something less teasing but so warm that it’s effect was just as strong. 

Casey’s heart achieved what she had been trying to all morning long. It caused her brain to go completely blank - at least for the very long moment that it took to finally thud in her chest. 

“I've always been partial to the things I find here.” Casey said, after what she hoped wasn’t too long of a stunned pause. She forced herself to take a deep breath as her brain started working again. Olivia had the damnedest way of pulling her into the smallest pinpoint of any moment, and forgetting the world around her. 

She ran her hands along her hair to pull any strays behind her ears and finally gave Olivia a whimsical look. “I can’t decide if you really are just that good or if I am that predictable. I think I’ll go with you being so good.”

Olivia wiggled her eyebrows in response and then sat up a bit straighter. “I decided to take a page out of your book.” 

“And which one is that,” she said. 

“Face things head on.”

Casey tilted her head in consideration. “I’m not sure I’ve been accused of that before.”

“I think anyone that knows you, knows that you don’t run and hide from things. You sort of go headlong into the breach.” 

She laughed. “I guess I can see that. Most of the time, I don’t see the point in delaying the inevitable.” 

The pirate smile returned to Olivia’s face. “And yet, there is one specific thing that I haven’t heard from you about.” 

Casey couldn’t help it. Her jaw dropped open in the surprise of being called out. “That’s not… that’s not the same thing,” she protested, but she took a breath and continued. “I was - I’d like to be able to say that I was giving you space, or that I didn’t want to push things. But really, I just, I don’t know exactly what it was that we were doing.”

An open soft look returned to Olivia’s eyes as she said, “What did you want it to be?”

She blushed again. She knew it was clearly evident this time. “Olivia…” Casey looked away, her voice quiet and pleading, she didn’t know exactly for what, but she needed the woman to at least meet her half way.

Reading her mind, Olivia smiled and said, “We went on a date.” 

Casey closed her eyes for the recognition, for appreciation that they were finally on the same page and willing to admit it. She mirrored Olivia’s smile. “We did.”

“I thought it went well,” Olivia continued.

“It did,” Casey said, but not quite meeting her eyes. “Very well.”

Olivia’s smile took on a bit of mirth. “Was that a problem for you?”

Casey smirked. “No.”

“Then what is it that you’re not sure of?”

“The way it started, it was ambiguous.” She sighed. “And then afterward…”

“I admit, I ran a little quiet afterwards, but so did you.”

“I was nervous.”

“I was too.”

“And now?”

“And now, we’re circling each other like we’re just waiting for an opening and I’m wondering why we can’t find it.”

“We’re friends,” Casey said, a little hopelessly. 

“All that means is that we already know each other. Quite well, at that.” She smiled. “The friendship part was never our problem,” she said.

“No,” she looked down, feeling the blush bloom down from her cheeks to her neck and chest. 

“So, what is the problem?” Olivia said, carefully keeping the amusement out of her voice. She could feel everything shifting. More sure of herself now, her posture began to relax once more. 

“We work together,” Casey said, weakly.

“I am aware of that,” Olivia said, and leaning back to be able to look Casey more fully in the eyes, she smiled her wicked, crooked, little half smile. 

Casey couldn’t help it, that damn smile got to her every time and her voice nearly cracked. “And sometimes we really, really butt heads.”

Olivia smiled harder and waited a beat. “Yes, but we’ve always been able to work our way through it.” 

“You mean once you’ve worn me down.” 

“Well, I eventually wear everybody down. But even when that happens, there’s the after. And when the case is done and it’s time to power down, all we seem to want to do is talk to each other. Spend time with each other. So, what else you got?”

“Baggage?” Casey said half-heartedly. “Bad timing?” 

“You have something going on right now?”

“You know I don’t.”

“Then?” 

“You didn’t call either.”

“I already admitted I was scared,” she said. “Of all the reasons you’ve said and more.”

“And now?”

“I just don’t think anything good would come out of letting our fears win.”

“So, none of those things matter?” 

“Do you want them to matter?”

“I…” she started and her voice became clearer and less strained. “No. I don’t.”

Olivia reached over and lightly traced patterns on the back of Casey’s hand. “We could find any number of excuses if we wanted to. But, I’d like to be done with ignoring this thing between us. You kissed me,” she paused, smiling at the memory. “We had a taste of what could happen if we just drop those excuses. So, I think we should go out again.” She paused. “Soon,” she said. 

“Soon,” Casey repeated. 

“This week,” she said, and smiled larger. 

“This week?” 

“Yes.”

Casey looked down, but she was smiling large enough for her dimples to come out again. “Okay, how about Wednesday night?”

Olivia smiled again, relaxed, confident. “It’s a date,” she said. 

She didn't know if was the assuring demeanor Olivia projected, or if it was the shift in the elemental truth of the relationship between them, but Casey felt an entirely different energy buzzing through her now. Only now, it was warm, and filled with a giddy anticipation, (and maybe a hint of disbelief). “I can’t believe you came out here.”

Olivia was amused to see that Casey was still fiddling with her coffee and had yet to start drinking it. “You get a nice run in?”

“I did. I'll be paying for it later.”

“You hungry?”

“I will be, but I won’t feel it for a little bit. How about you?”

“Same,” she said. “I don’t want to horn-in on your plans for the day, but if you were going to pick up some stuff from the market would you want some company?”

“I’d love that,” she said. “Maybe we could get at bite after.”

 

-

 

Casey stopped in front of her building and handed Olivia the bag she was carrying in order to fish her key out. 

“Do you want to come up, we could order in?” she said, “Or I could put something together,”she motioned vaguely to the bag from the market, not quite ready to have this impromptu time together to end, the pleasure of it still buzzing within her. 

Olivia laughed. “I can hear your stomach (from here). Sounds good, I’d like that.” 

If she felt like a smiling idiot throughout the elevator ride to her floor, she at least knew she wasn't the only one.

 

-

 

“I’m going to take two minutes to get cleaned up,” Casey said. “All the take out menus are in that drawer. Help yourself to anything you’d like. I’ll be quick, and then we can figure out what we want to eat?” She bit her lip to fight another huge smile at the comfortable, yet new use of the term ‘we.’ She shook her head at the ridiculously girlish excitement and nerves running through her and left Olivia to decide on their lunch plans.

Olivia had been to Casey’s place plenty of times; the first few for work visits. She’d come over more than once, demanding attention for a case, or demanding a warrant. 

Later, after they’d grown close, it had become the go-to place for them to hang out. They'd watch a movie when it was her choice or sometimes a baseball game when it was Casey’s turn. The excuse had always been that it was quieter than the bar; that it was easier to talk and it was more relaxing, not to mention that Casey had better quality wine to enjoy.

There was something warm and inviting about Casey’s apartment. It was large for NY and very tidy. It had bright pops of color mixed in with traditional decor and comfortable furniture. But there was also something about the home that let Olivia see the whole woman who lived there - the one who could be proper one moment and then slump down on the couch the next. 

She walked into the kitchen looking for a drink. Casey’s fridge had about as much food as her own did, but she found a cold sparkling water to tide her over. 

Olivia smiled at the fancy coffee maker in the corner and mug upside down in the drying rack. She was about to call out to Casey in the shower to ask her if she wanted to make some more when she looked up to see her walking over. And her mouth went dry again.

Casey came of the bathroom in a robe in the middle of a sentence about what kind of restaurant Olivia would like to go. “So, did you decide what you wanted to do for lunch?” She repeated, pausing on her way back to the bedroom. 

She stopped moving and talking when she saw how Olivia was looking at her. 

For a moment Olivia thought she was going to drop her drink. 

Casey opened her mouth, probably to babble on, but Olivia put her drink down and slowly, deliberately, closed the distance between them. As she moved close, Casey had a fleeting urge to back up, but she didn’t know why. She acutely aware that she was still, only, wearing a robe, as her brain quickly limited the entire world to the woman who had invaded her personal space. 

In fact, Olivia stepped into her personal space completely and stopped. She looked into her eyes, waiting for that final signal. 

Casey wasn’t sure how she was able to send the directions to her hands, but they pulled Olivia the few remaining millimeters closer. She could feel her body more completely than ever through the limited material of her robe. And kissed her. For long, infinite moments.

Eventually, the intensity increased and Olivia pulled her further into the room and against the wall. Her hands fell to Casey’s hips as her body pressed up against the shower warmed skin. Casey moaned softly and momentarily forgot to breathe. She didn't think a kiss really shouldn't be that dangerous, but it certainly seemed to be.

Casey’s hair was still slightly wet. The robe wasn’t oversized and it clung to her. It revealed quite a bit of leg. It wasn’t that much more revealing than her running gear. But it felt so much more intimate. The material crossed in a V near the swell of her breasts and started a flare in the pit of Olivia’s stomach. 

“I thought you were hungry,” Casey said, offering an out, still not able to put much volume into her voice. And not caring how much she was giving away. 

“I am,” Olivia said, and cleared her throat. She looked down to her hands, which were still on Casey’s hips. 

Her hands roamed again, this time embedding into her hair, pulling the woman into another kiss, feeling more than hearing the sounds coming out of Casey’s throat. 

Olivia kissed her along her jaw. It was getting hard to concentrate, hard to think of things she had wanted to say. Her thoughts kept trailing off, heading in a very direct path as Olivia found a sensitive spot on her neck. 

The kisses were slow and deliberate and carried the same intensity that Olivia put into all other aspects of her life. Her body flushed, she had been wanting her touch for so long, and now they were so close, she knew Olivia could feel the trembling running through her.

She pressed away from the the wall to allow for the ability to belay a tangled mess of eager hands until they made it into the bedroom, until they made it to the bed. It wasn’t the most graceful of movements, but she couldn’t help it. The heat of her body when her clothes were blessedly removed. The way she gasped into her neck when her hands finally cupped the woman’s breasts - she was fixated on the sensations, the feel of her hands, the sound she made when her fingers played over and over. 

Casey’s name caught in her throat when Casey’s fingers slid into her with deliberate smoothness. She had been aching for her touch, and arched into it. Casey moaned before she could, then buried her face into Olivia’s neck, kissing and breathing hard. It took her a moment to get her bearings back, when she did, she drug her teeth along Olivia’s throat, ending with a small nip. Olivia could only moan her approval and grind her body against the woman, losing sense of time an everything else besides each other. 

 

-

 

Fingers traced over the canvas before her. She was utterly, completely content. The warm, comforting weight of another keeping her in place. She had believed she’d never feel this intimacy with another again. And hedonistically, emotionally, she wanted to live in it. Soak it up forever. She sighed deeply and smiled. 

“I like it when you smile like that,” Olivia said. “Those dimples get me every time…”

Casey didn’t reply, she gently palmed Olivia’s face and brought her in for a deep, soft kiss, hoping to convey everything she didn’t dare say yet. 

Olivia rolled onto her back to catch her breath and laughed. Casey snuggled up to her and did the same.

After basking in the quiet comfort for a while, Casey said, “So, how do we do this?”

“Well, one of us is going to have to get up, or at least get a phone and call for food.”

She poked her in the side. “You know what I meant,” Casey said. 

“I think we’ve been doing pretty good so far.” Olivia kissed her softly on the shoulder and laughed again. “It figures that you’d be the worrier.”

Casey smirked and poked her in the side again, enjoying the way it made her squirm. “I mean, I may have overestimated my ability to go on like everything is normal.”

Olivia rubbed her shoulder lightly. “We’ll figure it out.”

“You do remember that in the course of any normal day we’ve had some pretty bad arguments. How are we going to keep work at work?”

“We act like adults, and leave work at the door, build a wall between work and after work.” she said.

“And what about work. There could be problems. I might have to disclose this, and if defense hints at objectivity I may have to have a case reassigned.”

“Anyone that knows you or your reputation knows you would always be objective.”

“I’m not sure my bureau chief, or the BAR association would agree with you.”

Olivia shifted slightly and pressed her palm to Casey’s cheek. “I am perfectly willing to defend my decisions and your impartiality when you have to put me on the stand, if for some reason Elliot can’t be the one who testifies.”

“There’s a chance that my office would remove me from your cases,” she said. She absentmindedly ran her fingers across Olivia’s collar bone and the smooth skin there. “That would be the obvious move.”

“That wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, though there are still other options. With your experience with now, you know they'll eventually want you to be an assistant bureau chief in any bureau any day now. You could also move over to homicide or major crimes.”

She looked up at that. “That’s a good point.” She sighed. Even now, at the beginning of whatever they were- she knew what she would choose, if they made her choose. “I don’t know if I can leave yet, but if I feel burnout coming, or if I feel like I’m ready to tell Donnelly, I’ll keep that in mind.” 

“I know how methodical you are, but I didn’t think you’d be playing out the consequences already,” Olivia smirked again.

“Honestly I’m not. I mean, Not really. I just never imagined we would ever end up anywhere near here,” Casey said, and leaned over and softly kissed her. 

“And yet we still got close enough for this to happen. But relax,” she pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “You’re worrying too much. Nothing has to change yet. Let’s just enjoy this and see where it goes.”

“I have to tell you, I don’t see getting tired of this any time soon,” she said, and started tracing kisses along her neck. 

“We will need to get some food if you want to continue that for much longer,” she said. “And you didn’t get to finish whatever you had to do this weekend.”

“Well, you see, there is a devastatingly gorgeous woman in my bed,” she said and pressed a firm and promising kiss on her lips. “And she’s naked.” She kissed her again. “Though she seems to be suffering from a massive delusion because she thinks I’m going to leave this bed of my own volition.”

Olivia laughed. “We’re going to have to eat sometime, and I do make a mean pancake, but you'd have to let me up to see if you’ve got everything I'd need.”

“Still not sure that's a good enough reason.”

“Well then,” she tried again, “how about one of use gets up to order delivery then?” 

“I'll consider it.”

“What if I promise to still be in bed when you get back.”

“Then I suppose I am willing to make a phone call,” she pressed a quick, soft kiss to her lips. “But, only for you.”

“Tough negotiator.” She laughed and kissed her. “You’re lucky you’re charming.”

“I am,” she said. “I am very, very lucky.”

“Me too.”


End file.
